The Rankin Inlet ceramics project: A study in development and influence

In 1962, the North Rankin Nickel Mine Ltd. closed its operations in Rankin Inlet, a community on the west coast of Hudson Bay in the Northwest Territories. This community was established by the mining company and attracted a large Inuit population with its promise of wage employment. When this employment ceased, the Canadian government initiated an arts and crafts program to assist the Inuit. Included in this program was an experiment in pottery-making, which became known as the Rankin Inlet Ceramics Project.

Begun in 1963, the project was guided by four arts and crafts officers, Claude Grenier (1963-1970), Bob Billyard (1970-1973), Michael Kusugak (1973-1975) and Ashok Shah, until its collapse in 1977. Funding for the project was initially provided by the Canadian government and later by the Government of the Northwest Territories. The federal government was very supportive of this initiative and was continually making recommendations to improve the project. The territorial government, however, was often indifferent to the project and eventually cut its funding. It is the aim of this thesis to document the project and to examine the role these patrons played in its development. Also, an attempt will be made to demonstrate how their recommendations affected the appearance of the work. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the current revival of ceramic art in Rankin Inlet. This new project will be considered in light of the original one and in the context of recent trends in Inuit art.